The Strategic Partnership Program Working to Increase Exports and Create Jobs

More than three million readers this morning in USA TODAY got hard evidence of the kind of private-public cooperation that will make the difference for the country as exports become a larger share of the economy. At the bottom of the front page, FedEx ran a banner ad calling on the general public to work with them and the U.S. Commercial Service of the International Trade Administration to locate new global business opportunities. The ad was the culmination of a reinvigorated initiative spearheaded by the Strategic Partnership Office to engage the power of private business entities involved in the global economy with the readily available resources of government.

The cooperation between FedEx and U.S. Commercial Service is a prime example of the nuts-and-bolts work the Department of Commerce is doing to make President Obama’s National Export Initiative a success by doubling exports in five years and supporting two million more jobs. FedEx’s newspaper ad in USA Today is the first of many steps the company and ITA will take together in the future, and it serves as example of how other businesses can work with the Strategic Partnership Program to increase exports and create jobs.

9 comments

The National Export Initiative is a big step in the right direction. We hope to partner with the ITA to deliver effective export training to companies across the country that will help them increase their international sales quickly and painlessly, and create jobs in the USA. With a global economy now five times larger than the American economy, and with 95% of the population living outside the USA, we need to depend less on domestic sales and tap into areas growing faster than we are. A key driver of this success is applied, participant-centered training. Thousands of American companies can increase their export sales quickly and economically if they are shown exactly what to do – selecting the right market for them, branding their products for that market, and then finding, approaching, and selling to new customers there. We look forward to helping American companies meet President Obama’s stated objective for everyone’s benefit. Dave Archer, http://www.ibtrainers.com.

I appreciate the motive, but how are the results objectively analyzed? What metrics can be developed that directly associate increased exports _and job gain_ with the exceptional efforts and resources being expended by the Federal government “Administration-wide” to help individual firms promote and sell their products overseas? How is the US Commercial Service reaching out to smaller firms — smaller than the Fortune 500? My experience is that most firms are ignorant regarding the existence of the US Commercial Service, let alone what it takes to do business in overseas markets. In other words: if taxpayers’ dollars are helping to provide private benefits, what concrete public benefits will accrue in addition? And where’s the proof?

PS FedEx seems an odd company as a Strategic Partner. Most of FedEx business overseas is staffed by individuals hired in those nations. The only thing that will increase FedEx’s domestic hiring — being as its business is highly labor intensive — is an influx of additional letters and packages from overseas. This seems highly unlikely however much the US Government advocates use of private mail systems. Can someone please explain the logic of this arrangement? And why the US Commercial Service is using its scant resources for this purpose?

Certainly jobs are a priority but should the focus be only on export expansion. Many a business who has entered global markets at the demise of local markets have suffered during global hardships. Perhaps there should be a drive to also support local business expansion and support of local products